Voting machine



July 17, 1951 A. N. GUSTAVSON VOTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1949 Inventor Elvin .Eustavson attorney July 17, 1951 A. N. GUSTAVSON 2,561,272

VOTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Brwentor Elvin .Hustavson fiu wf/ A. N. GUSTAVSON VOTING MACHINE July 17, 1951 Filed Feb. 1, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Zhwentor l llvin 11. Gustavsun Patented July 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VOTING MACHINE Alvin N. Gustavson, Bemus Point, N. Y., assignor to Automatic Voting Machine Corporation, Jamestown, 'N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application February 1, 1949, Serial No. 73,924

3 Claims. 1

. This invention relates to an improvement in voting machines and more particularly to a device that takes the form of an attachment that adapts a given votin machine for use in registering the votes of more than one class of voters. In communities having comparatively few voters it has been found impractical to provide and maintain voting machines for each ward or district, in view of the unwarranted cost and the relatively little use of each machine at an election. Under such circumstances, it is logical to provide a single voting machine for the com bined use of the few voters in two or more adjoining wards or districts, and this economy in public funds is frequently resorted to. There are instances, however, in which the voters of adjoining wards or districts are not entitled to vote for the same complete list of candidates. For example, at a general election involving national and state candidates, a community may also be conducting an election of local public ofiicials. These officials, such, .for example, as councilmen, are elected by a majority vote of their respective wards or districts, and it is not permissible for the voters of one ward to cast ballots for candidates placed in nomination by the voters of another ward. Under such circumstances, it has heretofore been impossible to eilect any economy of public funds in the use of votin rna chines, and the various wards or districts have each been required to provide a voting machine set up to tabulate the vote of its own candidates or resort to the use of a paper ballot.

The present invention is intended to provide means by which a single voting machine may be so adapted as to enable two or more wards or districts to combinedly use said machine by enabling all the voters to vote for candidates common to both wards and preventing the voters of a given ward or district from voting for can didates that are eligible for election only by the voters of another ward or district. The invention finds application in a community divided into election districts that somewhat anticipate a population and voter increase and are therefore, for a time at least, more or less sparsely populated and include relatively few voters.

The advantages and objects of the invention are primarily to enable registering the general and special votes of two or more wards or districts on fewer voting machines than has heretofore been. possible, and thus reduce or e1iminate certain costs involved in carrying out elections without loss of secrecy or accuracy.

.Qther objects and advantages of the invention Lil) will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification, taken in con-,- junction with the accompanying drawings; and in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the keyboard of a voting machine of the type to which the invention is applicable;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary interior rear elevational view of the invention applied to the main vot- .ing machine interlock, and shows connection thereof with an exterior controlmember;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the device as mounted in a voting machine, being shown with its operating parts in the same position they appear in Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and shows the operating parts in the other position of control; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4:.

Referrin more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral ii! is employed to generally designate a portion of the keyboard of a Voting machine of the type to which the structure of the present invention is adaptable. The portion of the keyboard shown consists of parts of two horizontal or party rows of pointers, suggested by the numerals l and 2. The pointers I l are of conventional form and swingable downwardly about their pivotal ends l2 into a, position over a candidates name located on the candidate strip l3 therebeneath. To illustrate use of the invention, four pointers in row I are to be utilized for candidates designated as X, X, and Y, Y. It is assumed that the voting machine is to be used by the voters of two adjoining wards or districts and that the voters in one ward may not cost their votes for candidates Y but are entitled to cast their votes for candidates X. Similarly, the voters of the other ward are not entitled to cast their votes for candidates but may do so for candidates Y who have been nominated by the voters in their ward. The pointers for candidates X, X, and Y, Y are connected with conventional interlocking straps M which, as is customary in voting machines of this type, terminate at their lower ends in necks l6 and enlarged portions IT. The neck and enlarged portion of each strap projects into a, main interlocking or grouping channel H3 which forms a conventional part of a voting machine and includes a pair of spaced apart plates 2|, having inwardly opening channels 22. These channels receive the enlarged ends of rollers 23. When one of the pointers on the face of the machine is manipulated, the corresponding strap 14 is raised, causing the enlarged portion [1 thereof to move upwardly between, and laterally spread apart, the adjacent rollers. As is well known, the grouping channel is provided with grouping pins which limit the number of straps that may be raised in any given part of the machine. The interlock is suspended in any manner, such as through the use of brackets 24, carried by an upright panel 26.

The invention comprises an upright plate 21, having top and bottom co-directional flanges 28 and 23, respectively. Flange 28 is formed with a series of uniformly spaced T-shaped slots 3|. The bottom flange 29 and one or more struckout lugs 32 provide guidin support for a rod 33. Beneath the flange 29, each rod terminates in a disk 34. Between the disk and flange is located a spring 35. Any suitable means, such as a cotter pin 31, prevents the rod 33 from becoming displaced from its guides. In the same plane and projecting in the opposite direction from flange 29, are two or more lugs 38 that terminate in upstanding flanges 39. These lugs and flanges are engageable with the lower edge of one of the walls of the main interlocking channel 18. Secured to that face of the plate 21 from which the lugs 38 extend, are spacing pins 4|. From the foregoing, it is evident that the plate 21 may be mounted on and secured in spaced relationship to the interlocking channel [8, at any desired point throughout its length, by the simple expedient of engaging the lugs 38 with the channel of the interlock. The expanding action of spring 36 and contact of disk 34 with the machine base 42 serves to maintain the plate 21 in fixed relation to the interlock, substantially as shown in the drawings.

The plate 21, in the present disclosure of the invention, is provided with four, uniformly spaced, vertical slots 43. These slots are so spaced that, when the plate 21 is mounted on the interlock 18, each slot will be on center with a vertical group of interlocking straps I4. As shown in the drawings, the slots extend upwardly from adjacent the lower edge of the plate to ap proximately its center. A link 44 projects through each slot 31 in the top flange 28 and, at its lower end, is fitted with a roller 46 which extends transversely through slot 43. Slot 3| serves as a guide for the link to prevent jamming upon movement of the roller from one to the other end of the slot 43. The upper end of each link is joined through a pivot 41 with the lower end 48 of a grouping strap 49. Strap 49, at its upper end, consists of spaced arms connected by a pin 52. The rear, upper edges of these arms are formed with flanges 53. These arms are so spaced as to enclose a complete vertical group of. interlocking straps l4 and, of course, this group is of a size corresponding to the number of horizontal rows of pointers on the face of the voting machine. The pin 52 of each grouping strap rests on ledges 54 of the straps l4 and the flanges 53 engage the rear edges of several of the endmost of these straps. It will be understood that the plate 21 may be of any desired length within the limits of the length of the main interlocking, channel, and provided throughout with slots .43, spaced and arranged in the manner above set out.

a Two or more pins 56 are secured to and extend laterally away from the plate 21. A bar 51, approximately the length of plate 21, is formed with 4 a pair of end-located slots 58, through which pins 56 project and by means of which the bar is rendered slidable in a horizontal direction with respect to the plate 21. The lower edge of the bar 51, in the present disclosure of the invention, is provided with three downwardly opening slots, indicated as 55, 60, and GI. These slots are uniformly spaced, and it will be noted that the center slot 60 is substantially twice the width of the endmost slots. The lower edge 62 of the bar 51 is so located that it engages the top edge of that portion of each roller 46 that projects beyond the face of plate 21. One end of the bar includes a laterally extending arm 63 which is joined, through pin 54, with one end of a link 66. Additional holes 61 are made in the link 66 to enable connecting it with the bar 51, even though the plate 21 may be mounted in a difierent location on the interlock l 8. Of course, the link 66 shown may be entirely replaced with a longer or shorter link for the purpose of enabling pivotal connection with an arm 68 of a bellcrank 69. The other arm H of this bellcrank is connected, through one or more upwardly directed links 12, with a pivot pin 13 that is carried by one end of an arm 14.

In the present disclosure, it is contemplated that the election oflicial will control operation of movement of bar 51 and thus arm 14 is so mounted as to be operable by a control lever 16 located on an exterior end wall 11 of the ma: chine. The lever includes a manipulating knob 18 and may be provided with a pointer end 19 for the purpose of enabling the election oflicial to move the lever and the bar 51 to the proper extent. 7

To more clearly understand the invention, the following description of operation is presented. It will be understood that the invention may serve its purpose equally well at general or primary elections and the manner of its control and operation is the same at all times. It can be as: sumed that a single voting machine is made available for use of the voters of two adjoining wards or districts and that the voters of both wards are eligible to cast their votes for all but four of the listed candidates. These four candidates, as suggested in Fig. 1 of the drawings, are indicated as X, X, and Y, Y. Continuing this illustration, it will be assumed that voters in one ward are permitted to cast their votes for candidates X, X who have been nominated to represent such ward as councilman or any other ofilce that is peculiar thereto. Similarly, the voters of the other ward have the right to votefor candidates Y, Y who have been nominated in said other ward, and candidates X, X may not be voted for by the voters of this other ward.

When a voter presents himself to the election ofiicial attending the voting machine, he will state that he is a resident of the first mentioned ward and said official will move the control member 16 to a predetermined position. Movement of this control member causes bar 51 to be moved to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This position of bar 51 causes slots 60 and BI therein to be in vertical alignment with the rollers of links 44 that. are connected, through grouping straps 49, with two vertical rows of pointers, and these vertical rows include candidates X, X. Thus the voter will be enabled to move the pointers into voted position for candidates X, X. However, portions of the lower edge of bar 51 rest on rollers 46 of further links 44 that are connected, through grouping straps, with the vertical rows of pointers that include candidate pointers Y, Y and, consequently, the voter in the first mentioned ward is unable to manipulate the two pointers for candidates Y, Y, since it would be necessary, in doing so, to raise the corresponding grouping straps. Similarly, a voter presenting himself as a resident of the other ward would so indicate to the election official, and the lever 16 would be moved and cause bar 51 to occupy the position shown in Fig. 4. Herein it will be noted that slots 59 and 50 are aligned with, and therefore permit movement of the links 44 and grouping straps 49 that relate to the vertical rows which include candidates Y," Y. And, again, it will be noted that portions of the lower edge of the bar 51 rest on the other rollers 46 which are associated with the vertical groups that include candidate pointers X, X.

It will be apparent that the present invention, by varying the size and. number of the slots in bar 51 and the extent of movement of this bar by lever 16, may be adapted to control the voting for three or more classes of candidates, and also that each class is not necessarily limited to a single candidate but may include a choice of candidates in such class to whatever extent the capacity of the voting machine may permit. If the voting machine includes ten horizontal rows of pointers, then each vertical row or group will consist of ten pointers and there may be provided as many as ten candidates in such a group. To carry the illustration of the invention a bit further, it is pointed out that there might be four candidates X seeking election to two ofllces and, of course, these additional candidates names would appear in the same vertical rows with the candidates X already listed and, preferably, in the next adjacent or second horizontal row illustrated. Under such circumstances, the control, by which a voter can only cast votes for two out of the four candidates, may be had through the use of grouping pins or other mechanism applied to or associated with the main interlocking mechanism.

Although applicant has shown and described only one form of an attachment by means of which a voting machine may be utilized to register the votes of more than one class of voters, it will be understood that modifications of the invention may be made and are considered as being within the scope of the invention insofar as they are defined by the annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. In a voting machine having horizontal rows of pointers individually movable into a voted position, interlocking straps connected with said pointers, several straps grouping corresponding interlocking straps of each of said horizontal rows into vertical groups; a device for controlling movement of said vertical groups of straps comprising a fixed plate having several spaced upstanding slots, each of said grouping straps having an end projecting into one of said slots, a projection on each of said strap ends, a bar mounted for slidable movement on said plate, said bar having several downwardly opening recesses so spaced as to permit only selective registering of the slots with said projections in any of several slidable positions of said bar, a control member on said machine and means cperatively connecting said member with said bar.

2. In a voting machine having horizontal rows of pointers individually movable into a voted position, interlocking straps connected with said pointer-s, at least two straps grouping correspond ing interlocking straps of each of said horizontal rows into vertical groups; a device for selectively securing said grouping straps and associated pointers against movement into a voted position, said device comprising a bar normally having an edge engaged with end portions of all of said grouping straps, said bar including open-ended slots of predetermined non-uniform spacing, control means operable to move said bar to an extent to selectively present at least two of said slots to the end portions of said grouping straps and enable movement thereof and any of the associated pointers into a voted position.

In a voting machine having horizontal rows of pointers individually movable into a voted position, interlocking straps connected with said pointers, at least two straps grouping corresponding interlocking straps of each of said horizontal rows into vertical groups; a device for selectively securing said grouping straps and the associated vertical groups of pointers against movement into a voted position, said device comprising a bar mounted for limited slidable movement, means on the ends of said grouping straps engageable by lower edge portions of said bar when said grouping straps are in an inoperative position, said bar having a series of downwardly opening recesses so spaced as to enable the selective alignment thereof with the ends of certain of said grouping straps upon movement of said bar into one of several positions within the limits of its slidable movement, a control member on said voting machine, linkage connecting said member with said bar, said member being manually operable to move said bar into a position to align the end of any given grouping strap with one of said recesses and thereby enable movement of said given strap and an associated pointer into voting position.

ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 929,043 Spencer July 27, 1909 995,357 Lausterer June 13, 1911 1,010,596 Cummings Dec. 5, 1911 2,071,387 Breitling Feb. 23, 1937 2,154,158 Gustavson Apr. 11, 1939 2,255,544 \Gustavson Sept. 9, 1941 2,481,011 Gustavson Sept. 6, 1949 

